“We are seeing it today in the very emotionally impacting Kavanaugh hearing in Washington, in my country, which is very difficult to watch but also very inspiring because we are hearing people who have been silenced for a very, very long time.

“People didn’t realise how widespread it was and people thought they were alone. Technology made them realise there were others like them. And not even others like them, but others with the same perpetrator.”

President Donald Trump has nominated Mr Kavanaugh – who denies accusations of sexual misconduct – for a vacancy on the Supreme Court, the body that has the final word on key issues like abortion and same-sex marriage.

Portman, a prominent member of the #TimesUp movement, said it was still too hard for women to come forward.

She said: “Unfortunately, it is still so devastating for people to come forward. Their lives are extremely impacted and really they are terrorised, they are harassed. They have terrible, horrible repercussions for coming forward still, after all this today.”

She also described sexual harassment as a “cultural disease”, adding that even despite the #MeToo movement, it remains commonplace.

She said: “Some people’s reaction has been ‘Oh that’s just a bad day’. But that is an example of how ubiquitous it is, not that it is okay.

“This is a widespread cultural disease that we are living with. It sickens me. Every woman has had a date with a guy who has been too aggressive with her. She’s felt like she has needed to leave at some point. That’s a problem.”